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Kelly Newnham, Business Analyst, Scottish & Southern Energy
"Very good explanations when questions aired. Lots of real life examples too."
Claire Pearson, Business Process Analyst, AQA
2-Day Seminar
Mastering Business Analysis
Register On-line:
16-17
September 2010, London
17-18
February 2011, London
Click
Here To Download The .PDF Brochure
- Overview
- Learning Objectives
- Seminar and Workshop Outline
- Audience
- Speaker Biographies
- Testimonials
- Seminar Fee
- Group Booking
- Hotel Venue and Accomodations
Click here for an in-house quote request or for further information regarding in-house training.
Overview
Business analysis provides the foundation for almost every kind of
business change. The craft of business analysis is to investigate the
business, to find its problem hot spots and recommend ways to improve
them. Business analysis is a combination of modelling, systemic thinking,
innovating, communicating, root cause analysis, persuasion and several
other analytical skills. In short, business analysis is about understanding
the real business and providing ways to make it better. The business
analyst is a modeller and a communicator. Models are used to understand
the processes, information and behaviours that make up the business.
This understanding is not superficial, but a knowledge of the real,
underlying business policy, and the root cause of any problems within
this business. Further, the analyst must communicate this understanding
so that all stakeholders arrive at the same view of their business.
The analyst understands what people do, not what they say they do if
he or she is to help bring the enterprise to its optimal state.
Our businesses thrive or struggle on the effectiveness of their business processes, both automated and manual. Businesses with good processes provide better service and are more responsive to their customers. The converse is true. Business analysis is the craft of enlightened improvement to business systems and processes. Moreover, business analysis gives you ways of identifying the areas where improvement projects will yield the highest value. This two-day course in business analysis gives you the skills and tools to discover your client's real business, and to determine and demonstrate the best ways of improving it.
- Discover real business needs, not just the most talked-about ones.
- Improve the business processes by applying automationor other means.
- Define the most beneficial scope for the analysis project.
- Use models to understand and communicate the business processes, and ensure stakeholders also understand.
- Understand how to employ business events as a way of partitioning the business for easier understanding.
- Be better at interpersonal communication.
- Think systemically, and find truly the best way to improve your client's business.
- Be a better business analyst
Business Analysis - What are we trying to do?
Business
analysis is about improving your business. To do this, business analyst
studies the enterprise and establishes the difference between the business
as it is, and as it wants to be, or should be. The business analyst
employs systems thinking to see past
the technological bias of the current way of doing things, and see
the ideal business-what should be happening. This involves looking
at a wide scope of business processes, seeing the essence of the business,
and ultimately delivering a model of the desired future state. The
desired future state takes advantage of business opportunities discovered
along the way, as well as fits with the management's goals for the
enterprise.
Modelling Business Processes
- Techniques for studying the business's response to the event
The business analyst may use a
variety of modelling tools to arrive at a complete and agreed understanding
of what the business is currently doing. The current state is by no
means the desired future state, but nevertheless provides a baseline
for future improvements. It is also vital that the all opportunities
for improvement are recognised at this stage.
We use Business Process Modelling Notation (BPMN) as a standard way of modelling the process. This is an established technique that is easy enough for business users to understand well enough to participate in the modelling process.
We also look at alternative ways of modelling, each having its own advantages. Scenarios are perhaps the most "business friendly" way for the business analyst to show the stakeholders what their business is doing, and what it is supposed to be doing. UML models are also popular.
Data models show the information used by the business. In discovering the stored information, the business analyst uncovers almost all of the business policy. Data are often confused with database design schemas, but here they are used in "business normal form" as an easy-to-understand way of discovering the underlying business policy.
Business Events - Organising
my analysis
Business
events are things that happen outside of the business, but are significant
in that the business must respond to the event. By discovering the
business events, the business analyst sees the actual triggers that
make the business function. Business analysis is concerned with modelling
the response to the business event. This response is known as a business
use case or BUC, and is the basis for the subsequent investigation
of the business processes. The response to the event is
modelled as an end -to-end process. This gives the analyst the advantage
of seeing the big picture, as well as finding more and better opportunities
for process improvement.
Systems Thinking - Not getting carried away
with solutions, but seeing the essence of the business
The essence of the business-or the real
business -is quite different from the current solution, and indeed
different from the proposed solution. The essence is not a solution
at all, but the underlying business seen without the burden of technology.
By discovering the essence of the problem, the business analyst avoids
the age-old problem of developing what is asked for, only to find that
it is not what is needed. The essence is an abstract statement of the
business; one that is free of technological bias. By gaining this pure
statement of the business, the business analyst ensures that any system
built is the right one, and one that lasts longer than any current
technological fad. Systems thinking means looking at the business as
a whole, not just one small part of it, or one business user and his
software system. The systemic-thinking analyst is concerned about the
effect of one part of the enterprise on another, and the detrimental
impacts of changes.
The Human Element - Interviewing, resolving
conflicts, facilitating workshops, communication skills
The business analyst is above all a
communicator. He or she is charged with understanding a piece of the
business using information collected from the people in that business.
Clearly, the needed skill is an ability to talk to people, listen to
them, and then ensure that both parties arrive at the same understanding
of the enterprise. Moreover, the business analyst frequently has to
facilitate workshops, and to use communication skills to bring the
sometimes disparate viewpoints to a consensus.
Delivering - Now that you understand the business,
here's how to bring about the changes to improve it
A thorough understanding of the enterprise
means that the business analyst is able to identify the most beneficial
changes to the business. Usually, this means developing software systems,
but sometimes it means updating and changing the business processes
to be more effective. The business analyst is also charged with identifying
the high-value projects. These are the ones that give the greatest
advantage for the cost and effort expended, and the ones that result
in the most beneficial changes to the enterprise.
Typical delegates include:
- Business Analyst
- Systems Analyst
- Project Leader
- Requirements Engineer
- Product or Program Manager
or similar titles. We also find Users and Software Customers benefit from learning state-of-the-art business analysis techniques, and how they can contribute to this vital activity.
IIBA Endorsed
This course has been endorsed by The International
Institute of Business Analysts. As such, this course has been approved as being aligned to
the Business Analysis Body of Knowledge (BABOK) and hence are recommended
training for business analysts who wish to sit the exam to become Certified
Business Analysis Professionals (CBAP). For further information on
how to register for the CBAP examination please refer to certification
at www.theiiba.org.
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James Robertson is a consultant, teacher, author, project leader whose area of concern is the requirements for products, and the contribution that good requirements make to successful projects. His work in the area of business analysis and requirements gathering is valued by clients in many parts of the world. He is co-author of Mastering the Requirements Process, Second Editions (Addison-Wesley 2006), Requirements-Led Project Management (Addison- Wesley 2005) and the Volere approach to requirements engineering. Â He is also a founder of The Atlantic Systems Guild, a think tank known for its innovative systems engineering techniques.
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James Archer, recently voted 2009 Business Analyst of the Year for the BCS / Computing IT Industry Awards has worked in many different application areas using the Volere approach. He has always managed to come up with innovative solutions to the business problems, ones that have proved to be cheaper to implement and provide greater customer satisfaction in the long-term. He has always taken the approach of discovering the essence of the business problem before leaping into technical solutions, and customers provide glowing references to James's skills. James also speaks on various aspects of Business Analysis to organisations across the UK including running popular workshops at the Government IT Profession Conference. He is a co-founder of the Business Change Special Interest Group of the BCS. In 2009, James was awarded 'The Business Analyst of the Year' IT Industry Award. |
Seminar Fee
£1,095 + VAT (£191.63) = £1,286.63
Hotel Venue
and Accomodations
16-17 September 2010
Venue: The Hatton,
51-53 Hatton Garden, London, EC1N 8HN
Tel: 020 7242 4123
www.etcvenues.co.uk/venues/the-hatton
17-18 February 2011
Venue: TBA London
London Accommodation: IRM UK in
association with JP Events Ltd has arranged special discounted rates
at all venues and at other hotels nearby the venue. Please visit the
JP Events website for further
information.
E-mail: enquiries@jpeventsltd.com Tel
+44 (0)84 5680 1138 Fax +44 (0)84 5680 1139.
In-House Training
If you require a quote for running
this course in-house, please contact us with the following details:
- Subject matter and/or speaker required
- Estimated number of delegates
- Location (town, country)
- Number of days required (if different from the public course)
- Preferred date
Please contact:
Jeanette Hall
E-mail: jeanette.hall@irmuk.co.uk
Telephone: +44 (0)20 8866 8366
Fax: +44 (0)1923 828 770
Speaker: James Robertson
Speaker:
James Archer
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Group Booking Discounts
If 5 delegates from the same organisation register at the same time
for the same or various seminars, then the 5th delegate is free.
We regret that this offer cannot be used in conjunction with the
Series Discount.
Series Discounts
Attend more than one course in this series and you will be entitled
to the following discounts:
- 2nd course 10%
- 3rd Course 15%
- 4th Course 20%
- 5th Course 25%
Business
Analysis Series
Building and Using a Business Process Architecture
Working with Business Processes: Discovery, Mapping, Redesign and Requirements
Mastering the Requirements Process
Business Rules and Decision Analysis Masterclass
Mastering Business Analysis